$.05 Toy Hovercraft / Helicopter

This instructable will show you how to make a simple toy hovercraft for small children. It is suitable for daycare projects, science projects (aerodynamics and gyroscopes) as well as general fun. This is a project can be built by small children since it requires no cutting.

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Step 1: What you will need.

2 - Styrofoam cups of the same size (8 oz or 16 oz)
8" or 21cm - Masking tape
4 - Medium rubber bands

dorkpunch says: Jan 30, 2012. 4:13 PM

Sweet! Built one and tried it out with my kids, they didnt quite get it but loved watching it "hover". Had my 8 yr old shoot a video of me flying it for you- pretty poor quality but you get the idea.

Hoopajoo (author) in reply to dorkpunchJan 30, 2012. 4:20 PM

AWESOME!!! Hope your kids and you have fun playing with it!

TN777 says: Jan 17, 2013. 3:25 PM

I am SOOOO going to use this when I babysit....

laser-show-15 says: Jan 1, 2013. 6:36 PM

In the first picture I thought you magically made it stay on the wall

Encik_Google says: Oct 11, 2012. 6:54 PM

interesting and cheap!!

Plo Koon says: Mar 15, 2012. 9:51 AM

i'll try to make it!

cool knex13 says: Feb 29, 2012. 9:04 AM

sweet!

dorkpunch says: Jan 31, 2012. 8:33 PM

Okay... So I got to "experimenting" with this and was just going to post some things here, but I got a little out of hand. I ended up building a bigger version of this that was a little different, so I made my own instructable referencing this one. I also dug up some more info on the Magnus Effect. You can see it here: The 50 CENT Hovercraft

kelseymh says: Jan 30, 2012. 4:45 PM

This is a great, and deceptively simple, project! If you're still around five years after posting it, it would be really awesome if you could add a step (or even just a paragraph in the intro) on the aerodynamics behind it.

As someone else posted, it's clearly driven by the Magnus effect, but I think having a description in the content itself would be beneficial, especially for people wanting to implement it in a classroom environment.

Goodhart in reply to kelseymhJan 30, 2012. 5:18 PM

Nicely demonstrated here ....

pgrassia says: Jan 30, 2012. 12:52 PM

Very nice and simple. If I'm not mistaken this uses the magnus effect to get some lift, hence the need for lightweight material. As well a textured surface is needed (like the surface of your golf/tennis ball)

jbrecken says: Jan 30, 2012. 10:17 AM

Could this toy be called a kind of diabolo?

jabujavi says: Jan 30, 2012. 9:08 AM

Please put a video!

Starsghost says: Aug 7, 2011. 7:58 AM

wait, i just read the whole thing

Starsghost says: Aug 7, 2011. 7:56 AM

HOW DO YOU LAUNCH IT?

nathanzhang says: Aug 10, 2008. 6:48 PM

Kids, this is definitely more productive than HACKING. Please do this instead of messing around with other people's webcams and/or changing the wallpaper of your nemesis' computer.

javajunkie1976 in reply to nathanzhangJul 6, 2011. 8:30 PM

Remember the days when hacking something, meant taking an axe or a pick and trying to get something off the ground?

golden snake in reply to nathanzhangSep 3, 2008. 7:18 PM

yes but some people think HACKING is funner lol

zack247 in reply to golden snakeMar 20, 2010. 7:40 PM

you may have just given me an idea that has to do with my enemies computer and the fact that he blurted out it has no antivirus. if i only knew how to hack...

dragonsniper in reply to zack247Feb 16, 2011. 5:49 PM

lol

CaseBoy says: Oct 27, 2009. 6:24 PM

can you post a vid??

yanyan says: Jul 15, 2007. 11:53 AM

I couldn't find styrofoam cups so i tried it with paper cups instead and it flew like a ...cow. Is this because of the smootheness of the paper cups, the weight, or my own shoddy technique?

Hoopajoo (author) in reply to yanyanJul 15, 2007. 2:17 PM

I think it is a combination of weight and texture. I tried it once with plastic cups and it flew like a lead blimp.

rollingstoner357 in reply to HoopajooJan 29, 2008. 5:37 PM

Hey! Mythbusters just proved that a lead baloon can fly

knex_mepalm in reply to rollingstoner357Oct 8, 2009. 3:25 AM

How thin was the lead? 1 nm?

dombeef in reply to rollingstoner357Dec 23, 2008. 6:59 PM

Yeah!OWNED!!!

TheCheese9921 says: Oct 19, 2006. 6:00 PM

(removed by author or community request)

shakaka in reply to TheCheese9921Oct 19, 2006. 7:52 PM

(removed by author or community request)

golden snake in reply to shakakaSep 3, 2008. 7:23 PM

eww this is the INTERNETZ why does it matter how you spell

AznPanda in reply to golden snakeMay 5, 2009. 3:54 PM

(removed by author or community request)

knex_mepalm in reply to AznPandaSep 21, 2009. 1:23 AM

Totally Wrong Man

It matters little for in a world of which we live in , because we have evolved into such a time where we may be allowed not to type proffesionally, as we may spell as we wish yet some belive we should just type better, others can not understand you so they ask of you to type and spell better. Other wordz speakin you dont have to lolz..
bold is wrong

AznPanda in reply to knex_mepalmOct 7, 2009. 9:12 PM

oh yah ima delete the comment that i made before seems rather mean of me D: sooo *Deletes* :D

AznPanda in reply to knex_mepalmOct 7, 2009. 9:05 PM

elloo uh sad thing is i dont even remember typing that comment lulz
uhh seems like i angered you D: sorries

knex_mepalm in reply to AznPandaOct 8, 2009. 3:24 AM

Not relly. Sorries :'(

gotanysparecake in reply to knex_mepalmSep 29, 2009. 12:40 AM

LOLOLOL totally right, man.

knex_mepalm in reply to gotanysparecakeSep 30, 2009. 12:27 AM

Yippie!

Hoopajoo (author) in reply to TheCheese9921Oct 19, 2006. 7:30 PM

Nice dude. Those aren't my hands. Sheesh.

TheCheese9921 in reply to HoopajooOct 21, 2006. 7:24 PM

sorry its like a phobia

bestbballrebounder1 says: Oct 7, 2008. 8:19 PM

(removed by community by request)

jasonckoval says: Jun 2, 2008. 7:35 AM

Folks, this is a nice project designed to keep little kids busy at *something* that they might get a kick out of. I cannot understand why so many of you feel the need to bash stuff like this. Hoopajo, thanks for contributing this, I will use it with my little ones. It is a clever demonstration of the concept of "circulation" and its relation to aerodynamic lift. Look up "Flettner Rotor" if you are really interested.